The louisiana territory purchase.

In 1803,Thomas Jefferson had the opportunity to secure a majestic western border, creating a safer country for all. With Louisiana safely in hand, the French threat would largely disappear, along with Napoleon's dreams of an American colonial empire. Jefferson's accomplishment in eliminating this threat is staggering, and even more so in the face of Napoleon. Many times, the French fought for control of Louisiana. In the Seven-Years war, the French were forced to cede the …

…transient allegiance to any one political party. Farmers moving west needed farmland, and traders and merchants needed the port of New Orleans to ship their goods. The purchase proved to the American Nation and to the world that the 'baby republic' was no longer a baby, but a force with which to be reckoned. The controversial purchase did not represent a shift in Jefferson's policy from Democratic-Republican to Federalist, but from Democratic-Republican to American patriot.